Read-in system for the control of card-punching machine, jacquard machines and the like

ABSTRACT

A read-in system for controlling a card-punching machine, a Jacquard machine or the like in which each of a number of read-in elements is provided with an armature associated with an electromagnet and either the armature or the magnet is mechanically shifted by the machine drive in the direction of the other so that the magnetic force is only that necessary to bring about adhesion and need not be sufficient, of itself, to displace the read-in element.

United States Patent Geirhos et a1. Sept. 9, 1975 [54] READ-IN YSTEM F R THE NTR OF 2,134,284 10/1938 Keefe .1 235/616 K CARD-PUNCHING MACHINE, JACQUARI) ,569,879 10 1951 Balde 235/616 K 2,701,686 2 1955 Guttridge et a1. 235/616 K MACHINES AND THE LIKE Inventors: Werner Geirhos, Senden, Germany;

Frans Eggermont, Waregem,

Belgium Assignee: Fa Grosse Webereimaschinen GmbH, NeuUlm, Germany Filed: July 16, 1973 Appl. No.: 379,302

US. Cl. 235/61.6 K; 139/85; 234/59 Int. Cl. ...G06K 17/00;DO3G l3/OO;G06Kl/14 Field of Search 235/61, 6 K; 234/2, 3, 234/59, 65, 66, 79, 81, 84, 97; 66/50 R, 50

Primary Examiner-Daryl W. Cook Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Karl F. Ross; Herbert Dubno 5 7] ABSTRACT A read-in system for controlling a card-punching machine, a Jacquard. machine or the like in which each of a number of read-in elements is provided with an armature associated with an electromagnet and either the armature or the magnet is mechanically shifted by the machine drive in the direction of the other so that the magnetic force is only that necessary to bring about adhesion and need not be sufficient, of itself, to displace the read-in element.

12 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTHJ 95975 3,904,855

SHHT 2 UF 4 SHIFT CONTACT QEGISTER ASSEMBLIES J d flf' XS? 2 7a Mk 2 a 5 73 a T l/ S CONTACT ASSEMBLIES CONTROL T CIRCUIT Ff} 4 READ-IN SYSTEM FOR THE CONTROL OF CARD-PUNCHING MACHINE, JACQUARD MACHINES AND THE LIKE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a read-in system (method and apparatus) for card-punching and Jacquard machines or the like and, more particularly, to a system in which a multiplicity of read-in element are displaceable in response to the states of respective electrically energized magnets to create a condition determined by input signals and representing applied information or information on a card or web which maybe used to operate a Jacquard machine to punch a Jacquard or other card or web and, more generally, to register the input data in a cyclically operating machine, e.g. a card-punching machine or a Jacquard loom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION generally or to control the heddle needles of a loom. In

all such cases, a conventional read-in system for the punching of Jacquard cards or other information carriers and for the control of Jacquard looms in part by the information supplied in the form of electrical signals, may comprise an array of read-in elements responding to electromagnets either to control the punch members or to operate the heedle needles of the machine. The

electromagncts may be provided with circuitry receiving input data from switches or the like to the superimposed upon or to override previously punched information or simply to generate Jacquard cards for later use in a Jacquard loom.

The input data may derive from any data-storage system or may be the result of manual setting of the switches. In the former case, the data-storage system may be read by any conventional means the signals controlling the electromagnets.

In the usual read-in systems of this type, the electromagnets were solenoids, i.e. the armature penetrated into a magnet coil to produce the necessary stroke of each read-in element for release of the respective drop needle. The stroke of displacement of the read-in element was effected either by deenergizing the electromagnet and allowing a spring or other force-storing device to become effective, or by energizing the electromagnet to magnetically shift the read-in element. Thus a tractive or pushing force was applied to the armature depending upon the relative positions of the solenoids coil and the armature.

Such solenoid-type magnets had the disadvantage that, where small size was a necessity, only relatively small strokesor displacements could be developed with relatively low lifting force. Where large strokes and greater magnetic force was required, the solenoid-type magnet had to be correspondingly larger.

In card-punching machines or Jacquard looms, where a large number of closely spaced read-in elements in a rectangular array is required, only very small cells can be employed to ensure the close spacing of the read-in elements. As a result, only a small stroke and low force could be obtained.

It has been proposed to pro vide complex and expensive mechanical linkages between the solenoid armatures and the read-in needle, e.g. as described in German Pat. No. 1,535,930. With these magnets, however, there arises the disadvantage that a prolonged duration of electromagnet energization leads to considerable heating of the eleetromagnets, necessitating special measures to cool them. Also, where the coils are energized in parallel, the electrical consumption is unsatisfactorily high.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a read-in system in which the aforementioned disadvantages are obviated especially for cardpunching machines and Jacquard looms.

Another object of the invention is to provide a system of the character described whereby the stroke of the read-in elements may be relatively large without high electrical energy consumption, large electromagnets and heating problems with respect to the energization thereof.

It is another object of the invention to provide, for an array of read-in elements, an improved magnetic control system which is relatively simple, is more compact, has a reduced energy consumption and cost and is less expensive for manufacture and operation than prior art systems.

Still another object is to provide a system for the purposes described which is less scnsitive and suffers fewer breakdowns then earlier arrangments as set forth above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved, in accordance with the present invention, by the provision of an external force, derived from the basic machine drive and preferably periodic in nature, to relatively displace the set of magnets and their set of armatures in the direction of displacement of the armatures to enable mutual interaction and adhesion of the armatures to the electromagnet. Thereafter the movable set is displaced in the opposite direction so that the armatures are selectively actuated in accordance with the state of magnetization of their respective electrically controlled magnets to bring about the read-in displacement of the read-in elements mentioned previously.

Thus the mutual approach of each magnet and its armature is brought about without magnetic force and in the case of the machine drive by mechanical coupling thereto so that the magnetic force need be sufficient only to effect and maintain adhesion between the armature and the core of the electromagnet.

The magnets of the present invention are thus required only to act as adhesion magnets or retention magnets effective on contact of each armature with its core. The large clectromagnet and electro-magnetic forces hitherto required to displace the armature over substantial distances (in which the magnetic field intensity falls off as the square of the distance), need not be provided. Substantially smaller magnets may be used and the electrical power consumption in the magnets is reduced. In spite of the reduction in the individual and total magnet volumes, at desirably large working stroke of the read-in elements can be achieved.

According to a feature of the invention, the entire set of armatures is shifted into contact with the respective magnets which are in an attracted state and thereby rctain all of the armatures at least initially while the means, e.g. a frame carrying the armature, whereby the latter are collectively displaced is returned in the opposite direction.

The selected magnets may then be deactivated to release the respective armatures and effect appropriate positioning of the respective readin element. The selectivcly deactivated magnets may have their respective magnetic fields nullified all at once or successively (cg. by a series of signals comminuted to them or by comminutatively de-encrgizing them.

Advantageously each of the magnets is a permanent magnet having sufficient magnetic force to retain the respective armature when the latter is brought into contact with it. The permanent magnets can each be provided with a deactivation winding to which an electric current can be applied momentarily to generate a countervailing magnetic field which, when superimposed upon the permanent magnet field, produces a resultant magnetic effect insufficient to retain the armature and permitting the released armature to undergo displacement by a respective force-storing member stressed upon collective movement of the armatures into contact with the respective magnets and maintained under stress until a magnetic field is nullified.

Preferably the individual nullification coils are energized in succession so that the electrical energy consumption is minimized.

A read-in mechanism according to the invention thus comprises a multiplicity ofread-in elements, preferably in a rectangular area (i.e. in a plurality of parallel rows of transversely spaced mutually parallel elements) each of which is connected to or conncctible with a respective armature juxtaposed with an electrically energiz able magnet and capable of undergoing a linear stroke or displacement under the action of a restoring force.

For a Jacquard system 1344 readin elements, corresponding to the number of holes in a conventional Jacquard card may be provided with a corresponding number of armatures and magnets. Of course, the invention also contemplates providing each of the read-in elements as the armature for a magnet.

A common member, e.g. the frame mentioned earlier, reciprocable by a drive coupling with the machine and capable of undergoing displacement through full linear stroke of the read-in elements is provided to carry the magnets or the armatures.

In other words, the magnets may be mounted, on the one hand, on the frame so as to be carried thereby into contact with the armatures in one direction and to be thereafter entrained in the opposite direction to draw with them the magnetically adherent armatures, thereby stressing the respective forcestoring member (e.g. tension or compression springs acting upon each read-in element or armature).

On the other hand, the frame may entrain all of the armatures in one direction toward contact with the respective magnets which may be stationary, thereby stressing the restoring members. The frame can then return an equal distance in the opposite direction whereby release of the armatures permits displacement of the individual armatures in this opposite direction with relaxation of the stored force. in the latter case the frame engages the armatures with lost motion in an amount equal to the armature stroke.

The contact between armature and magnet is, in both cases, brought about by mechanical force derived from the machine drive and without magnetic force so that the aforementioned advantages of low electricalcurrent consumption, small magnet volume, large stroke and effective rapid operation can be obtained.

It has been noted previously that a preferred construction of the present invention provides the magnets as permanent magnets each having a demagnetization coil. This arrangement facilitates the serial control of the magnets by means of control pulses of brief duration and so dimensioned that the magnetic adhesion between the armature and the magnet. During the resulting displacement of the armature, the pulse need no longer be applied and hence a saving in electrical energy is gained here as well. The actual displacement of the read-in element, therefore, takes place during a currcnt-less condition of the magnet, i.e. a condition of the magnet in which it is electrically deenergized. Preferably the magnets are controlled by a conventional electronic support as described, for example, in the German published application (Offenlegungsschrift) No. 2,0l6,945.

According to another aspect of the invention, the magnets are disposed one above the other in a row and a number of rows are provided directly adjacent one another in the aforementioned frame which is moved to and fro by a machine drive relative to the support structure for the read-in element which is stationary. The read-in elements are each provided at an end turned toward the magnet with an armature and are engaged by a restoring spring or the like. it has been found especially advantageous to dispose half of the magnets (eg. 672 for a Jacquard machine) in each of two frames on opposite sides of the array of read-in elements so that each set of read-in elements is formed with armatures at their ends turned in the direction of the respective magnets. The two sets of magnets may be reciprocated in opposite directions so that the respective sets of read-in elements likewise are entrained in the opposite directions during adhesion of their armatures to the respective magnet and, upon release of the magnetic field, move in opposite directions for the read-in operation. This arrangement allows the magnets to be stacked in compact blocks collectively affixed in the respective frames and hence replaceable therewith as a group. This replacement and removal is simplified by the fact that the magnets are not mechanically affixed to the read-in elements. Thus, should it be desirable to substitute other magnets the entire block may be replaced with ease, an operation which permits breakdown in the magnetic arrangement to be corrected in an especially simple manner and in addition facilitates assembly of the machine. it has been found to be advantageous moreover, to provide the armatures as elastically yieldable with respect to the read-in element so that shock is not transferred to the read-in elements or the armatures when the latter are brought into contact with the respective magnets.

According to another aspect of the invention, the magnets are fixed in a support whereas the linearly reciprocab le organ or frame engages the armatures which are entrained by the frame in the manner previously described. It has been found to be advantageous in this embodiment to provide a releasable coupling between the armature and the read-in element which is engaged when the read-in element is shifted relatively to the armatures and the restoring springs of the read-in elements are stressed. This arrangement has been found to be particularly desirable for the control of the notched bars of a Jacquard loom.

It is also possible, in accordance with the present invention, to eliminate the special notched bars of the conventional Jacquard loom and to provide the read-in element as hooks of a blade beam from which the heedle wires of the loom depend.

According to the invention, therefore, the magnets may be provided upon a frame, beam or support movable to and fro and distributed with the distribution of the read-in elements so that during the initial stroke of the latter all of the magnets simultaneously are brought into engagement with the read-in elements juxtaposed therewith.

In general, one must deal with a large number of magnets which may be provided, for example, in 84 groups or rows each having sixteen magnets. The array can thus be generalized as comprising in groups, each of which contains n magnets.

To control such a large number of magnets (m n) the invention provides for a blocking diode in series with one side of each coil of the demagnetization wind ings of the permanent magnets and to a respective one of m conductors of an x coordinate arrangement. The other ends of the coils are connected each to a respective conductor of the y co-ordinate arrangement n so n and m conductors thus form part of a conventional switching matrix whose m n individual magnets can be energized by application of a positive signal to a selected conductor of one set while the negative potential is applied to the selected conductor of the second set, a particular magnet being thereupon energized and its magnetic field nullified. The conductors of one set may be connected to a conventional shift register or the like for serial energization. In this manner the entire set of magnets may be commutated in several milliseconds, especially since the pulses may be extremely short inas much as they are thus briefly nullified permanent magnet fields.

It has been found to be advantageous to permit the magnets to be replaced or exchanged or to selectively connect magnets of the array to the input circuitry. The latter arrangement is desirable where patterns of energization are to be changed from time to time. In this case, between the magnets and the matrix there is provided a contact field whose plates provide electrical connection to the magnets and which may be formed with sets of plug-in contacts whereby the entire array of magnets may be disconnected by removal of the plugs or jacks.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view ofa permanet magnet arrangement according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing another permanent magnet arrangement according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a vertical elevational view, partly in section and partly broken away, diagrammatically illustrating a card-punching machine embodying the invention.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram, in block-diagram form, of a system for controlling the magnet of any of the readin systems of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing a system for the punching of paperboard cards at least in part under the control of a paper web or other card and, if desired, for control of the heddles of a Jacquard harness;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 3 and 5 of a readdevice for the control of a Jacquard machine; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing yet another Jacquard read-in system.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION The read-in system illustrated in FIG. 3 comprises, to each side, 84 adjacent rows, each of 8 magnets 1 mounted in a common frame 2. The magnets in each vertical row are disposed one above the other in contact with the adjacent magnets and each vertical row (only one shown to each side in FIG. 3) is disposed adjacent the next row so that altogether 672 magnets are provided to each side in a rectangular array as previously described. Each block of magnet I is mounted in a respective frame so that, as can be seen from FIG. 3, two such frames are provided for reciprocity in opposite directions as represented by the double headed arrows x. Means, not shown, is provided for reciprocating the frame 2 as represented by the arrows x in the cadence of machine operation.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 through 3, each of the magnets I is generally horseshoe shaped and has a pair of poles which are juxtaposed with and can contact an end of a respective read-in element turned toward the magnet. Each of the horizontally shiftable read-in elements is thus associated with one of the magnets so that, as illustrated in FIG. 3 two sets of oppositely shiftable readin elements are provided, each set being associated with a respective set of the magnets I. The readin elements 3 are disposed between the two frames 2 and the magnets carried thereby.

The readin elements 3 are here shown to be small elongated and horizontally shiftable slide members of which 84 may be provided in each horizontal plane and 16 such arrays are disposed one above the other. In any vertical group, the individual read-in elements 3 are provided alternately on opposite ends with respective armatures 4 of each of which is juxtaposed with a magnet 1 of a respective frame 2. At the opposite end of each read-in element, there is provided a tension spring 5 anchored to a stationary support shown only dia grammatically in FIG. 3.

In the spaces between the vertical planes of the groups 1f 16 readin elements, there are provided 16 flat drop needles 6 which are supported in a grate 7 vertically displaeeable in the direction of arrow y. The drop needles 6 are each provided with laterally extending pins 8 which may rest upon the upper edge of the respective read-in element 3 but can engage in notches 9 thereof. The pins 8 of the first eight drop needles 6 extend laterally in one direction while the other eight drop needles of the vertical array of read-in elements project toward the opposite side.

At the beginning of the readin movement, the grate 7 with the drop needles 6 suspended therefrom is mov able upwardly (array y). This motion, like the motion of the frames 2 is effected by the machine drive which has not otherwise been illustrated. The two frames 2 with the magnets l anchored thereon are simultaneously moved inwardly in directions opposite to one another until their magnets 1 contact the juxtaposed armatures 4 of the read-in elements 3 and against the armatures.

The armatures 4 are mounted upon the respective read-in elements in the array (totalling 1344 read-in elements altogether) via compression springs 30 (FIGS. 1 and 2). When the magnet frames 2 are brought toward the read-in elements 3 from opposite sides to contact the armatures 4 with their magnets l, the springs 30 are slightly compressed. The springs 9 ensure firm contact between the juxtaposed phases of the armatures and the pole phases of the permanent mag nets 1 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and thus effective adhesion between the magnets and their armatures. The frames 2 are then moved simultaneously outwardly through the same stroke by the machine drive.

During the return stroke of the magnet frames 2, each of the read-in elements 3 whose armatures 4 are magnetically adhered to the magnets l is drawn outwardly against the restoring force of the respective spring 5, thereby tensioning the latter. With the following lowering of the grate 7, the drop needle 6 falls to the distance determined by whether their pins 8 engage the upper edge of the respective read-in element 3 or are received in a notch therein. The read-in elements 3 which have been released by electrical energization of the demagnetization coils 1a or lb (FIGS. 1 and 2) have been drawn by the respective springs 5 into positions in which the pin 8 of the respective drop needle enters the notch 9. The drop needles 6 whose pins 8 are received in the notches 9 are connected by further needies 16 and 17 to the punch needles 10 of the card punch mechanism disposed therebelow and deflect these needles to permit punch operation as well as described in greater detail hereinafter.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the magnets 1 may be generally horseshoe shaped and may have a flattened-O or W configuration. While they may be pure electromagnets which have their fields nullified by deenergization of the windings, it is preferred to provide them as parmanent magnets whose magnetic flux is nullified by the coils In or 11).

When the magnets l constitute permanent magnets as shown in FIG. 1, the armatures 4 of all of the read-in elements automatically are entrained with the magnets 1 and the individual armatures can be released by momentary energization of the respective coiils once the frame 2 has reached its final outer position and the machine has attained a standstill condition after one revolution of its drive. The springs 5 draw the read-in elements 3 with high speed away from the deenergized magnets 1 which must be electrically triggered only for a brief period which may be shorter than the duration of the stroke of the read-in element.

The encrgization is effected by electronic input circuitry as illustrated in FIG. 4 for each of the groups of 16 vertically arrayed magnets. The matrix circuit of FIG. 4 is provided for the eight magnets on each side defining a 16 group so that the matrix may be triggered one after the other. At the conclusion of the scanning of each 16 group the next group is read.

FIG. 4 shows a matrix of the type which may be used for this purpose. Each of the coils 1a of the magnets is connected in series with a blocking diode 15 to one conductor while the other side of the coil is connected to another conductor of two parallel arrays of conductor in a crossbar system. The control circuit 11 operates through a shift register 12 through which the 84 stages 14 are one array of conductors are scanned and provided with positive signals for the selected magnets. The other array of conductors is energized through the 16 stages 13 with negative potential. The reading of each 16 group can thus be effected in only several milliseconds so that in a short time all 1344 eleetromagnets can be read. The stages 13 and 14 also represent contact assemblies whereby the magnets may be plugged into the respective circuits so that selected magnets are energized and all of the magnets can be changed as well. The adhesion magnets can also be provided in an electromechanic system as described, for example, in German Pat. No. 1,535,930 although a read-in system of this type cannot achieve the high speeds of the system presently described.

The control of the adhesion magnets need not be serial as described but can be parallel so that all of the magnets which are to release their respective armatures are simultaneously energized. In this case, it is necessary to provide a more extensive circuit at higher cost with, for example, 1344 control conductors instead of the approximately control conductors of the circuit of FIG. 4. Parallel operation may be carried out by the use of electromagnetization illustrated in FIG. 2. In this case, all of the magnets may be energized (when the core is not permanently magnetic) before the reciprocation of the magnets I begin and deenergization is effected selectively after the frames 2 have reached their outermost position. Of course, the same effect is obtained when certain magnets are selectively deenergized so that they do not pick up or entrain the respective armatures and read-in elements.

The drop needles 6 actuate the further needles 17 which are suspended at 16 from the drop needle and respectively engage the plunger needles 10.

The plunger needles 10 normally are disaligned from the blades 18a ofa blade frame 18 which is horizontally shiftable in the direction of arrow 18]) by the machine drive. When one of the pins 8 enters the respective notch 9 the plunger needle 10 associated with its drop needle 6, 17 is displaced into alignment with its blade 18a. Consequently, the blade frame 18 engages the actuated needles l0 and drives them to the left to similarly shift the rams 19 of the selected needles whereby the corresponding punches 20 are driven through the Jacquard card 23 displaced by the drive sprockets 21 and 22.

The card punching system may be controlled by a further card 24 which may be establish certain of the information to be transferred to the Jacquard card 23. The card 24 is perforated and is disposed under the drop needles 17 so that only those plunger needles 10 are actuated whose drop needle 17 enters the perforation of the card 24 and has a pin 8 reciprocate in the notch 9 of the associated read-in element 3.

Upon perforation of the card 23, the machine cycle is repeated whereby the grate 7 is lifted, the frames 2 are reciprocated, the feed mechanism 21, 22 is advanced to a position another card in line with the punches 20 and the blade frame 18 is retracted to the right. The grate 7, upon release of the selected magnets is lowered to permit the pins 8 to engage notches 9 of the read-in elements 3 which have been drawn away from their magnets by spring etc.

In FIG. 5 we have shown a system having a read-in device generally similar to that of FIG. 3 but using a different needle arrangement and notched-bar set up for punching the cards and controlling a Jacquard loom. In this system the pasteboard cards are formed in part with information provided on an endless paper card. The read-in system operates as generally described in FIG. 3 whereby abutment grates are provided to act as stops for the read-in elements 3. In this embodiment, however, the drop needles 17 engage plunger needles 26 which, upon displacement, are entrained by the blade frame 18 to shift the deflector needles 27 which operate upon notched members or hooks 28 so that the displaced members are unlatched from the griffe 28a. The loops 28b of the hooks are connected to further slide members 30 acting upon the needles 30a of the notched bars 30f and controlling the punches 306. The paper web 24 for controlling the card punch is also illustrated in FIG. 5.

In FIG. 6 we have shown a somewhat different readin element wherein the magnets 1 are fixed and the armatures 4 are displaceable about respective pivots 33 against the force of a spring 34 which tends to swing the armature away from the respective magnet. The armatures are formed as pawls having hook extremities engageable with the hooks at the ends of the sliders. As in the system of FIG. 3 a fram 31 is shiftable in the direction of arrows .r back and forth so that the individual ribs 35 push the armatures 4 against the magnets l which retain the pawls out of engagement with the slides 3. The read-in elements 3 previously entrained with the frame 31 are released and are shifted in the opposite direction by compression spring 43 to operate the notched bars 38 of the Jacquard machine from which the heddles 39 depend when the griffe 36, 37 are raised and lowered. The read-in elements 3 are reconnected to the respective pawls 4 by a frame 32 displaceable through the distance 1''.

It will be apparent that the device of FIG. 6 can be modified to connect the armatures and read-in elements 3 and eliminate the pawl or latch arrangement whereby the single fram 31 and the read-in elements and armatures will undergo only linear displacement. An example of a direct read-in device for the heddles of a Jacquard machine is shown in FIG. 7 in which the read-in elements are hooks 3' of the notched bar members 38 and are held away from the blade 37 by the magnets ll. Respective springs bias the members 3 away from the magnets in the direction of arrow x and the read-in elements 3 are provided directly with the heddles 39. The griffe 37 are shiftable in a frame in the direction of arrow y.

We claim:

1. A read-in method for displacing a plurality of controlled members by a selective actuation of read-in elements of an array thereof, comprising the steps of:

relatively displacing a set of armatures each operatively connectable to one of said read-in elements and a set of magnets toward one another into contact whereby at least some of said magnets and the respective armatures adhere to one another under magnetic force; and

controlling the field of at least some of said magnets to permit displacement of the armatures thereof in the opposite direction said magnets being permanent magnets, said step of controlling said field comprising releasing selected armatures by selectively electrically nullifying the fields of the magnets corresponding to the released armatures.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the fields of the magnets of the released armatures are nullified in succession by application of electrical pulses thereto.

3. A read-in apparatus for control of a plurality of selectively displaceable elements, especially in a cardpunching or Jacquard machine, said apparatus comprising a set of selectively energizable magnets;

a set of armatures each juxtaposed with a respective one of said magnets; means for displacing one of said sets toward the other of said sets to bring each of said armatures into contact with the respective magnet whereby at least some of said armatures are retained by respective magnets under magnetic adhesion force;

means opcratively connecting said armatures to said selectively displaceable elements; and

means for displacing said one of said sets including a mechanical drive coupled to the drive of said machine, said magnets being permanent magnets each provided with a demagnetization coil.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein each of said armatures is operatively connected to a respective read-in element, said system further comprising respective restoring springs engaging each of said readin elements and stressed upon magnetic adhesion of a respective armature to the respective magnet, said springs urging said armatures away from said magnets.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said magnets are stationary and said means for displacing said one of said sets entrains said armatures against said magnets.

6. A read-in apparatus for control of a plurality of selectively displaceable elements, especially in a cardpunching or Jacquard machine, said apparatus comprising:

a set of selectively energizable magnets;

a set of armatures each juxtaposed with a respective one of said magnets; means for displacing one of said sets toward the other of said sets to bring each of said armatures into contact with the respective magnet whereby at least some of said armatures are retained by respective magnets under magnetic adhesion force;

means opcratively connecting said armatures to said selectively displaceable elments; and

means for displacing said one of said sets including a mechanical drive coupled to the drive of said ma chine, said magnets being provided in two opposite rows and being mounted in respective frames constituting said means for shifting said one of said sets, said frame being displaceable in opposite directions.

7. A read-in appartus for control of a plurality of selectively displaceable elements, especially in a cardpunching or Jacquard machine, said apparatus comprising:

a set of selectively energizable magnets;

a set of armatures each juxtaposed with a respective one of said magnets;

means for displacing one of said sets toward the other of said sets to bring each of said armatures into contact with the respective magnet whereby at least some of said armatures are retained by respective magnets under magnetic adhesion force; means operatively connecting said armatures to said selectively displaceable elements; and

means for displacing said one said sets including a mechanical drive coupled to the drive of said machine, each of said armatures being associated with a displaceable read-in element, said apparatus further comprising resilient means interposed between each armature and the respective read-in el ement.

8. A read-in apparatus for control of a plurality of selectively displaceable elements, especially in a cardpunching or Jacquard machine said apparatus com prising:

a set of selectively energizable magnets;

a set of armatures each juxtaposed with a respective one of said magnets; means for displacing one ofsaid sets toward the other of said sets to bring each of said armatures into contact with the respective magnet whereby at least some of said armatures are retained by re spective magnets under magnet adhesion force;

means operatively connecting said armatures to said selectively displaceable elements;

means for displacing said one of said sets including a mechanical drive coupled to the drive of said machine said magnets being stationary and said means for displacing said one of said sets entrain said armatures against said magnets;

a plurality of read-in elements operatively connected to said selectively displaceable elements and shiftable relatively to said armatures; and

means for operatively connecting each read-in element with the respective armature 9. A read-in apparatus for control of a plurality of selectively displaceable elements, especially in a cardpunching 0r Jacquard machine, said apparatus com prising:

a set of selectively energizable magnets;

a set of armatures each juxtaposed with a respective one of said magnets;

means for displacing one of said sets toward the other of said sets to bring each of said armatures into contact with the respective magnet whereby at least some of said armatures are retained by respective magnets under magnetic adhesion force;

means operatively connecting said armatures to said selectively displaceable elements, said magnets being provided with coils;

a matrix having m conductors of one set and n conductors of another set whereby m.m equals the number of magnets; and

a blocking diode connected in series with each winding of a respective magnet connected across conductors of each set.

10. The apparatus defined in calim 9, further comprising commutating means for successively applying a signal to respective conductors of at least one set thereof.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 10 further comprising a plug in connection having at least m contacts and a plug-in arrangement having at least I: contacts for releasably connecting magnets to said conductors, said magnets being provided in m rows of n magnets.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 9, further comprising a contact field between the windings of said magnets and at least one of said sets of conductors.

* =l =l l 

1. A read-in method for displacing a plurality of controlled members by a selective actuation of read-in elements of an array thereof, comprising the steps of: relatively displacing a set of armatures each operatively connectable to one of said read-in elements and a set of magnets toward one another into contact whereby at least some of said magnets and the respective armatures adhere to one another under magnetic force; and controlling the field of at least some of said magnets to permit displacement of the armatures thereof in the opposite direction said magnets being permanent magnets, said step of controlling said field comprising releasing selected armatures by selectively electrically nullifying the fields of the magnets corresponding to the released armatures.
 2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the fields of the magnets of the released armAtures are nullified in succession by application of electrical pulses thereto.
 3. A read-in apparatus for control of a plurality of selectively displaceable elements, especially in a card-punching or Jacquard machine, said apparatus comprising a set of selectively energizable magnets; a set of armatures each juxtaposed with a respective one of said magnets; means for displacing one of said sets toward the other of said sets to bring each of said armatures into contact with the respective magnet whereby at least some of said armatures are retained by respective magnets under magnetic adhesion force; means operatively connecting said armatures to said selectively displaceable elements; and means for displacing said one of said sets including a mechanical drive coupled to the drive of said machine, said magnets being permanent magnets each provided with a demagnetization coil.
 4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein each of said armatures is operatively connected to a respective read-in element, said system further comprising respective restoring springs engaging each of said read-in elements and stressed upon magnetic adhesion of a respective armature to the respective magnet, said springs urging said armatures away from said magnets.
 5. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said magnets are stationary and said means for displacing said one of said sets entrains said armatures against said magnets.
 6. A read-in apparatus for control of a plurality of selectively displaceable elements, especially in a card-punching or Jacquard machine, said apparatus comprising: a set of selectively energizable magnets; a set of armatures each juxtaposed with a respective one of said magnets; means for displacing one of said sets toward the other of said sets to bring each of said armatures into contact with the respective magnet whereby at least some of said armatures are retained by respective magnets under magnetic adhesion force; means operatively connecting said armatures to said selectively displaceable elments; and means for displacing said one of said sets including a mechanical drive coupled to the drive of said machine, said magnets being provided in two opposite rows and being mounted in respective frames constituting said means for shifting said one of said sets, said frame being displaceable in opposite directions.
 7. A read-in appartus for control of a plurality of selectively displaceable elements, especially in a card-punching or Jacquard machine, said apparatus comprising: a set of selectively energizable magnets; a set of armatures each juxtaposed with a respective one of said magnets; means for displacing one of said sets toward the other of said sets to bring each of said armatures into contact with the respective magnet whereby at least some of said armatures are retained by respective magnets under magnetic adhesion force; means operatively connecting said armatures to said selectively displaceable elements; and means for displacing said one said sets including a mechanical drive coupled to the drive of said machine, each of said armatures being associated with a displaceable read-in element, said apparatus further comprising resilient means interposed between each armature and the respective read-in element.
 8. A read-in apparatus for control of a plurality of selectively displaceable elements, especially in a card-punching or Jacquard machine, said apparatus comprising: a set of selectively energizable magnets; a set of armatures each juxtaposed with a respective one of said magnets; means for displacing one of said sets toward the other of said sets to bring each of said armatures into contact with the respective magnet whereby at least some of said armatures are retained by respective magnets under magnet adhesion force; means operatively connecting said armatures to said selectively displaceable elements; means for displacIng said one of said sets including a mechanical drive coupled to the drive of said machine, said magnets being stationary and said means for displacing said one of said sets entrain said armatures against said magnets; a plurality of read-in elements operatively connected to said selectively displaceable elements and shiftable relatively to said armatures; and means for operatively connecting each read-in element with the respective armature
 9. A read-in apparatus for control of a plurality of selectively displaceable elements, especially in a card-punching or Jacquard machine, said apparatus comprising: a set of selectively energizable magnets; a set of armatures each juxtaposed with a respective one of said magnets; means for displacing one of said sets toward the other of said sets to bring each of said armatures into contact with the respective magnet whereby at least some of said armatures are retained by respective magnets under magnetic adhesion force; means operatively connecting said armatures to said selectively displaceable elements, said magnets being provided with coils; a matrix having m conductors of one set and n conductors of another set whereby m.m equals the number of magnets; and a blocking diode connected in series with each winding of a respective magnet connected across conductors of each set.
 10. The apparatus defined in calim 9, further comprising commutating means for successively applying a signal to respective conductors of at least one set thereof.
 11. The apparatus defined in claim 10 further comprising a plug in connection having at least m contacts and a plug-in arrangement having at least n contacts for releasably connecting magnets to said conductors, said magnets being provided in m rows of n magnets.
 12. The apparatus defined in claim 9, further comprising a contact field between the windings of said magnets and at least one of said sets of conductors. 